14 August 2014
Good evening. It’s 5pm and I am Susan Dokolo with the Radio Miraya news.
The headlines:
- IGAD ministers recommend tough action against parties hindering peace talks
- Thousands displaced by violence in Mundri in need of assistance.
- Health Ministry discontinues payment for services at the Kiir Mayardit women’s hospital in Rumbek
IGAD ministers have recommended tough action against parties hindering the peace talks.
In a meeting with members of the UN Security Council in Nairobi, the IGAD ministers briefed the Council members on the progress of the talks.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Tedros Adha-nom Gheb-reye-sus, said in a statement that the IGAD envoys communicated to the ambassadors that the negotiations had stalled over the past two months, largely due to refusal by the opposition to participate.
The donor community, UN agencies and the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) are moving on with a plan of action to facilitate the return to their homes of thousands of IDPs still living in UN camps in Juba.
Representatives of UN agencies, UNMISS and donor governments met with the police to devise ways in which the movement could be encouraged.
Currently there are more than 30,000 IDPs living at the UN camps in Tomping and UN House. Our Reporter Reech Malual has more in the following report.
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Reech Malual: “A working group of representatives from the United Kingdom, UNDP, UNESCO and UNMISS all pledged to work alongside the South Sudan National Police Service. The UN mission offered to support the initiative by deploying teams from its Human Rights, UNPOL and Civilian Protection units to train up to 400 police personnel. The personnel will be brought from states that have not been affected by the conflict to undergo training and handle patrols in identified areas of Juba. UNMISS Police Commissioner Fredrick Yiga explains further support offered by the UN Mission.”
Fredrick Yiga: “The message from the mission is we will help in the recruitment and screening process and number two the UN will use its regular flights to insure that these officers are brought to Juba.”
Reech Malual: “UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the UK Agency for International Development have also pledged to support the initiative in areas of issuing ID cards, police registration, police education and training.”
South Sudan Police Inspector General Lt Gen. Pieng Deng Kuol welcomes the response.
Lt Gen. Pieng Deng Kuol: “All the responses which we have just received now are very encouraging and I think that generally the respond is positive.”
Reech Malual: “A working group of six team members drawn from the Police service and the UN will be formed to follow up on the progress. The team will also be responsible for coming up with an action plan to implement the exercise. I am Reech Malual reporting for Radio Miraya.
Nearly 3000 people, displaced by violence in Mundri West County, Western Equatoria State are still living away from their homes and are in need of assistance.
The communities in four villages left their homes two weeks ago after armed cattle keepers raided the villages.The displaced, mainly women and children had their crops and houses destroyed. We spoke to a few of the victims:
Vox pops
- “There is no place for sleeping and there is no food. An old man who returned to the site to collect some food stuff was killed.”
- “The thing that happened there is that the cattle keepers came from their village and the cattle grazed on farm land of four villages, but now government came and they will go there to inform the cattle herders to move away.”
- “There are no people there now. People have run away and children do not have something to eat. Children are suffering like the elderly.”
The Commissioner of Mundri West County, Lexon Moburuk, says a team from various humanitarian agencies has left to assess the situation. He adds that extra security has also been deployed.
Lexon Moburuk: “We have so far deployed soldiers in those cattle camps in Amadi Payam – about 130 men including organized forces, and as we speaking right now with you, they are moving towards Yirol West from today. There are about ten cattle camps on one side and five on another side of the river.”
Two people were killed while pursuing raided cattle in Rumbek North County in Lakes State.
County Commissioner, Marial Machar Aweckoc, says the two were part of a group that tried to retrieve the stolen animals that were taken by armed youth from a neighboring community.
Marial Machar Aweckoc: “Youth from Chueibet came to the cattle camp called Kanegel. They took some cattle from the grazing field. The youth ran after them, caught up and took back some cattle. Three of them returned with the cattle they had got back, and the rest continued the pursuit. They didn’t get them, so they started to return. When they stopped to get some rest, the youth of Gok came and seized them. They killed two of them and two escaped so the ones who came are the ones who told the people what happened.”
The South Sudanese Embassy in Cairo, Egypt is warning nationals against getting involved in criminal acts.
The caution comes after a South Sudanese journalist, Denggadiet Deng Ayouk, was attacked by a gang of youth in Cairo. A police case was opened and one person has been identified.
South Sudan’s ambassador to Egypt, Anthony Kon says any person found to be involved in riots or criminal acts will be deported.
Anthony Kon: “Duringthis month,manykillings and violent acts happened. Two weeks ago, one person was killed. Journalist Dengadiet was attacked last Mondaynight and as a result, his leg was broken. It’san unfortunateact .We wantdecisive actionsagainstthose whocarry outthesecriminal acts. Any person accused ofa criminal act, we will take action against him and he may go to prison. Within these days Egyptiansecurity willscale up operations. That is whywe are asking the government of South Sudan to provide uswithtickets to enableus to transport those people.”
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The National Ministry of Health has abolished payment for services at the newly opened Kiir Mayardit Women’s Hospital in Rumbek, Lakes State.
The fees were recently introduced by the hospital administration to enable the facility operate 24 hours.
Patients were being charged between 100 and 150 South Sudanese Pounds to access medical care.
The Director General in the State Ministry of Health, Michael Mading, says the hospital is fully equipped and staffed with specialized doctors to respond to maternity issues free of charge.
Mading says cases are being transferred from Rumbek civil hospital to the new facility.
Michael Mading: “The maternity department in Rumbek State Hospitalis one of the largest departments in the hospital. It has been running all these years, managing cases of obstetrics and gynecology. Now we have started to shift the department of maternity to the new hospital where there are specialist doctors. There is a need for cases of obstetrics and gynecology to move to new hospital in Kiir Mayardit Women’s Hospital.”
The Kiir Mayardit Women’s hospital was inaugurated by President Salva Kiir last month
A vaccination campaign targeting 70,000 cattle has been launched in Twic East County in Jonglei State.
Authorities launched the campaign in response to an outbreak of livestock diseases that have affected the county since June.
Twic East County Commissioner, Dau Akoi Jurkuj says the vaccination campaign will last one month.He explains that the animals will be quarantined to prevent reinfection.
Dan Akwei Jurkuj: “When they have been vaccinated, they should be in one place. They will not be allowed to move from that place to another area. So there will be a period of time that will be given for them to be observed after vaccination. The target number is 70,000 head of cattle. We hope this will improve the livelihood of livestock in Twic East.”
The vaccination campaign is being conducted with support from International NGO CARE International.
A committee has been formed to settle a border dispute between communities of Warrap and Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
The area is dispute is in Nyinakok, around the Jur River County Headquarters.
Western Bahr el Ghazal State Governor Rizik Zakaria Hassan says a joint team with representatives from both States will travel to the contested area to meet with chiefs and local leaders.
Rizik Zakaria: “The committee will sit with the committee that will come from Warrap and from Wau and will go to Nyinakok to do their findings on border. I think this is an administrative issue that will be resolved by the committee.”
The dispute over Nyinakok arose immediately after the inauguration of the Jur County Headquarters last month
And in sports, Tahrir FC of Rumbek beat Imatong 3-1 in last evening’s South Sudan cup football game at Juba Stadium.
The win means Tahrir joins Malakia in the semi-finals. In Wau, Islah FC beat Amal of Raja 2-nil.
In today’s game, Gazala take on Ngok FC from Abyei at Wau stadium.
Eight teams from selected States are taking part in the tournament, hosted in Wau and Juba.
Finals will be played on the 30th of this month.
To end the news, the main stories once again:
- IGAD ministers recommend tough action against parties hindering peace talks
- Thousands displaced by violence in Mundri in need of assistance.
- Health Ministry discontinues payment for services at the Kiir Mayardit women’s hospital in Rumbek
You have been listening to Radio Miraya news. To let us know about the latest news where you live, contact us at; . I am Susan Dokolo. Thanks for listening.
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